Automobile body construction



Dec. 1, 1931. L K 7 1,834,524

AUTOMOBILE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed April 2, 1927 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Jo EPH LEDWINKA bodied in an automobile Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH LEDW'IN'KA, F P EILADELPEIA, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO G.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, rooa- BUDI) MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA auromonms BODY coivsrnnorron Application filedApril :2,

This invention relates to a pressed metal automobile body construction;more particularly, bein directed to the construction of the posts 0 thebod and their connection with the body side SlllS.

The primary object of this invention is to provide easily effectedconnections between the body posts and the side sills, which whilesimple result in unusually strong joints.

Certain other objects and advanta es of the invention will be madeapparent uring the detailed description thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, theviews are as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a pressed metal automobile body in side elevation, thepaneling about the connections between the front post and sill, and thepost at the rear of the rear door opening and the sill being brokenaway,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the front osts connectionwith thes'ill,

Fig. 3 is a orizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational 'view' of the connection betweenthe sill and the post at the rear of the door opening,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, r v

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, andI Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view showin the connection of theD-post to the si e sill.

The invention, althou h shown as siny of the sedan type, is capable ofbeing embodied, in all or in part, in bodies of other types.

In order that this specification will not be unduly prolix the post atthe front of the front door opening will be designated as the A'post,and the post at the rear of the rear door opening as-the Dpost. The postwhich is arranged between the two door openings is commonly called theB-G post.

The body illustrated comprises a cowl portion 1, A posts .2, front doors3, B-C posts 4, rear doors 5, D' post 6, and tonneau portion 7. However,as the invention pertains particu- 1987. Serial. No. 180,446.

larly to the posts, sills and the connections therebetween, only theseparts of the body will be described in detail, it being understood thatthe other parts thereof ma be of any desirable construction adapted toused with the specifically described parts.

The A posts 2 are inwardly facing channel members, in generalconfiguration, extending from the bod side sills 8 to the roof headers.These posts, elow the belt line of the body, have their forward andrearward walls 9 and 10 gradually divergant until they are of greatlyincreased width adjacent the side sills. There are thus provided postswhich present sill connectin surfaces of extended area, while above theIt line these members may be of a minimum section for the urpose ofincreasing the vision from within t e body.

The forward walls 9, at least below the belt line, are provided withforwardly effects 11 serving to reinforce the posts. The outer walls 12are inwardly ofl'set at 13 to strengthen the post and to accommodate theoverlap flange of the door, thus permitting the use of doors flush withthe outer surface of the body.

The'body side sills 8 extend from withm the cowl to adjacent the post Dbrackets.

These sills are downwardly presentin flanged channels having a top wall14, an

- outer and inner walls 15 and 16. The outer wall is considerably longerthan the" inner wall; these walls having oppositel directedsubstantially horizontal flanges 1 and 18.

The flange 17 is rovided with the usual downwardly and nwardly bentflange 19 serving as a finish strip across the door openv In order toconnect the A posts to the sills,

- the walls 9 and 10 of the former have tabs 20 and 21, of a h i M equalto the wall 15 of the sills, out there omand bent so as to extend flange17, while the outer walls 12 of the posts are carried downwardly alon doof the flange 17 and coextensive therewith. At

the bottom of the wall a tab 22 is formed to extend rearwardly upon andbe secured to the flange 17. The flanges 17 and-:19 of the sills extendto the forward wall of the posts where they terminate and the side wallis extended downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2.

The D posts are inwardly facing channel members the lower ends of whichare curved forward from a point approximately upon the same horizontalplane as the wheel housirags 23. The outer wall 24 of the D post is 0set at 25 to accommodate the door overlap, and the front wall 26 thereofis longer than v the rear wall 27 The D post bracket is substantiallytriangular in its peripheral contour; the forward edge portion 28thereof being curved and offset outwardly from the main portion 29. The

. main portion is bowed so as to form a part of the wheel housing. Thebracket upon its lower edge is provided with an inwardly directed flange30 curved upwardly toward the rear to provide the necessary kick up forthe wheel housing. a.

The bod side sill 8 is carried rearwardly to the postl) bracket, atwhich point the wall 16 and flange 18 of the sill continue untiladjacent the rear edge of the bracket, the ,remainder of the sillstopping at the front wall of the post. A tab 31 is turned from theforward wall 26 of the D post and secured to the wall 15 of the sill.

The tonneau side sill 32 is an inwardly facing angle the lower arm 33 ofwhich lies upon the flange 30 of the bracket, conforming the curvaturethereof and extending forwardly a short distance beyond the D post.

The side sill wall 16, the vertical wall of tonnean sill 32, and thepost D bracket are all secured together by riveting or other means. Aspreviously stated the forward edge por- V tion 28 of the post D bracketis forwardly curved to conform to the forwardly curved I bracket and thesecured to the D bracket.

part of the D post, and is outwardly oifset also. This constructionallows the portion'28 of the bracket to be nested within the D post; thebracket bearing against the wall 27 of the post and having a forwardlyextending flange 34 lying adjacent to the outer wall 24 of the post.This arrangement provides an unusua ly stron connection between the postto be directly connected to the main body side sill.

The quarter paneling 35 ofthe tonneau overlaps the 0st D bracket alongits rear edge, and is il the tonneau side sill. The paneling is alsopost above the post D The connections between the posts and the sills,which have been described, clearly unite these members in a novelmanner, and provide an automobile body construction of greatly increasedstrength.

-wheel housin 'ing an extension of the wheel housing and a post, andalso permits the nged beneath the flange 33 of lhe invention issusceptible of such modifications and adaptations as fall within thebody side sills and tonneau side sills, in-

wardly facing channeled posts located at approximately the junctionpoint between the side and tonneau sills having their lower endsforwardl curved and thelr forward walls connecte to the side sills, andbracket members adapted to connect the side and tonneau sills havingtheir forward ed es curved and nested within the curved portions of thechanneled posts and secured thereto in said curved positions.

3. In an automobile bod wardly facing channele post stampings located atthe rear of the rear door 0 ening and extending from the roof to the oorof theboddy the lower ends of said post being fdrwar thereof orming apart of the wall of the recesses and a member formbrace for the posthaving its forward edge curved and flanged to lie against the inner sideof the rear wall of the post and secured to the post through saidflange.

In testimony whereof he hereunto aflixes his signature.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

construction, in

